02-09-2024, 11:41 AM
(02-09-2024, 11:35 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Oh, another point. If Lively is out for 3-4 more games and Gafford shows to work well starting, I’m not all that confident that Lively is still the starter for the rest of the season. He still needs to figure out how to not pick up ticky tack fouls and Gafford has the tenure to have gotten that far. That will be important in the playoffs. Lively can still learn plenty off the bench.
I've thought of this too, but I find it hard to imagine that Lively doesn't have a really long leash in that regard. Every true rookie center is faced with the foul issue. If you're rim protector, you're a foul magnet by default.
Replacing him as a starter in the lineup might be too much drama for a rookie. I think the time to make a serious change would be at the beginning of next season if the thinking was clear that the team would be better for it.